HoeKey - minimalistic key launcher

Submit portable freeware that you find here. It helps if you include information like description, extraction instruction, Unicode support, whether it writes to the registry, and so on.
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nevemark
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:43 am

HoeKey - minimalistic key launcher

#1 Post by nevemark »

Minimalistic Key launcher (very low on system resources).
Start programs and all kinds of stuff like controlling iTunes, Windows Media Player, and/or Winamp, closing/hiding windows, volume adjustments etc...

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Zip

Version 1.16 - exe only

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Gary
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 5:13 am

#2 Post by Gary »

Isn't this the same application that Imus uses? Shame on him... :shock:

donald
Posts: 561
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:14 am
Location: knoxville TN USA

Re: HoeKey 1.13

#3 Post by donald »

I have seen recommendations for Hoekey and I was wondering what the user experience has been.
Andrew Lee wrote:Application name: HoeKey

Website: http://www.bcheck.net/apps/hoe.htm

Date tested: 2007-04-11

Status: Not portable

Reason: Configuration requires editing a config file manually, which is not my idea of "user-friendly".
Have any updates improved the ease of use?

Is it more or less portable?

I have noticed a version 1.8. (available as EXE only for now).

Has anyone tried a launcher/wrapper?

Has anyone tried requesting a more user-friendly config file.

freakazoid
Posts: 1212
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:45 pm

Re: HoeKey 1.13

#4 Post by freakazoid »

Reason: Configuration requires editing a config file manually, which is not my idea of "user-friendly".
I don't think that's a valid enough reason. TyperTask, I believe, uses the same technique.

I used to use this program on lower-performance systems and still use it on my netbook, but I usually use Executor now.
is it stealth? ;)

webb
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: HoeKey 1.13 (now at 1.19)

#5 Post by webb »

Long time lurker, first time poster (never bothered to register).
I found that hoekey is at version 1.19. It now accepts relative paths to run commands using the %d (drive) and %c (directory) variables.
Also the author seems to be still active in google groups (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/hoekey) and extremely receptive to feature requests. I completely forgot I registered in the group and was surprised by the sudden activity in the group.

I don't know why it was deemed not to be fit to be entered into the database. Maybe someone experienced would test it again and reconsider. And, before anyone points the finger, I'm not the author of the program, just a user recently going back to it after carefully reading the online help file and rediscovering it.

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Midas
Posts: 6710
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Location: Sol3

Re: HoeKey 1.13

#6 Post by Midas »

I used HoeKey at times as a portable launcher, as it is tiny and accepts command line commands out of an extensive list -- but found various inconsistencies between versions, so I ended up dropping it in favor of yaP.

FYI, webb, the only reason HoeKey didn't make it to TPFC database is no one bothered to enter it -- you're welcome to do it. :P
HoeKey v1.19 changelog is at http://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/ ... u7KyGIghRw.

@webfork: for better retrievability, please remove version info from present topic OP. Thanks. :)

webb
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: HoeKey

#7 Post by webb »

FYI, webb, the only reason HoeKey didn't make it to TPFC database is no one bothered to enter it -- you're welcome to do it. :P
I've taken your suggestion and have submitted it for consideration.
for better retrievability, please remove version info from present topic OP. Thanks. :)
Will do in the future. Didn't know that I was allowed to completely change the original subject line.

webb
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: HoeKey

#8 Post by webb »

Er... did I do it right? I can't see my submission anywhere. What is the URL? How to view other private entries?

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SYSTEM
Posts: 2041
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:19 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: HoeKey

#9 Post by SYSTEM »

webb wrote:I can't see my submission anywhere. What is the URL?
http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2735
webb wrote:How to view other private entries?
Go to the detailed search page and set Results type to private only.
webb wrote:Er... did I do it right?
Long answer incoming...

You did successfully create an entry in the database. However, I can see a bunch of issues in the entry.

Big problems:
  • Description is way too long.
  • Did you resize the screenshot to 1024x768 pixels? Now the screenshot has a wrong aspect ratio, is not pixel-perfect and is much larger than necessary. You could have just uploaded the screenshot without resizing it...
Small issues:
  • The download link is version-dependent. The text next to the Download URL field advises to add a link to the download page instead in such a situation.
  • Extraction instructions could be rewritten, e.g.
    1. Download the ZIP package and extract to a folder of your choice.
    2. Download the binary of the latest version of HoeKey from the homepage. Overwrite existing HoeKey.exe with it.
    3. Launch HoeKey.exe.
  • I'll mention separately that you forgot to change the EXE name from APPNAME.EXE.
  • The programs in the Similar/alternative apps section are not links.
My YouTube channel | Release date of my 13th playlist: August 24, 2020

webb
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: HoeKey

#10 Post by webb »

webb wrote:Er... did I do it right?
It seems not :(
[*]Description is way too long.
I've edited the entry to show just the initial description of the program :oops:
[*]Did you resize the screenshot to 1024x768 pixels? Now the screenshot has a wrong aspect ratio, is not pixel-perfect and is much larger than necessary. You could have just uploaded the screenshot without resizing it...
I tried to upload the original image, but the submission page insisted that it should exactly be 1024x768 pixels and wouldn't let me proceed to submit until it was changed. I tried it again, now it accepts the original image :?
[*]The download link is version-dependent. The text next to the Download URL field advises to add a link to the download page instead in such a situation.
I thought since the version 1.13 has to essentially be downloaded before it can be switched to the latest version, I thought that was acceptable. Anyways I have edited that too.
[*]Extraction instructions could be rewritten, e.g.
  1. Download the ZIP package and extract to a folder of your choice.
  2. Download the binary of the latest version of HoeKey from the homepage. Overwrite existing HoeKey.exe with it.
  3. Launch HoeKey.exe.
Thanks for the instruction. Copied and pasted. :D
[*]I'll mention separately that you forgot to change the EXE name from APPNAME.EXE.
[*]The programs in the Similar/alternative apps section are not links.[/list]
Done and done.

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SYSTEM
Posts: 2041
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:19 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: HoeKey

#11 Post by SYSTEM »

webb wrote: I tried to upload the original image, but the submission page insisted that it should exactly be 1024x768 pixels and wouldn't let me proceed to submit until it was changed. I tried it again, now it accepts the original image :?
Odd. I asked Andrew to look into this.

----

Thanks for the changes. The entry is much better now. :)
My YouTube channel | Release date of my 13th playlist: August 24, 2020

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joby_toss
Posts: 2970
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Location: Romania
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Re: HoeKey 1.13

#12 Post by joby_toss »

Who suggested this app? ;)

webb
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: HoeKey

#13 Post by webb »

Thanks for the changes. The entry is much better now.
Thanks for the hand-holding. Now hope that it will get enough votes to move out of private status to public. :)

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Andrew Lee
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Re: HoeKey 1.13

#14 Post by Andrew Lee »

SYSTEM wrote:
webb wrote: I tried to upload the original image, but the submission page insisted that it should exactly be 1024x768 pixels and wouldn't let me proceed to submit until it was changed. I tried it again, now it accepts the original image :?
Odd. I asked Andrew to look into this.
The screenshot size cannot be > 1024x768. That's the only check.

The fact that webb was eventually able to upload his 308x389 screenshot without any intervention kinda proves the point.

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Midas
Posts: 6710
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Sol3

Re: HoeKey 1.13

#15 Post by Midas »

HoeKey development seems to have resumed: v1.20 is released (changelog and download is at http://www.bcheck.net/apps/hoe.htm).

And since our dear Mod seems to have missed this, here it is again: :P
  • Midas wrote:@webfork: for better retrievability, please remove version info from present topic OP. Thanks.

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